NOISE:Physical, Medium itself, Problem at sender’s end, Semantics

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Introduction to Broadcasting MCM 411

LESSON 12

NOISE

In a common way, noise refers to sounds and voices. But in communication it means

altogether different. Anything in any form, which distorts or hampers true meaning of a

message, is understood as noise. If we talk in general, we notice that more than often a

message does not reach the receiver the way it is intended by the sender, that is, it loses part

of meaning, or the whole meaning, some where in the way. This situation frequently results in

creating misunderstandings between the sender/broadcaster and the receiver/the listener.

Some time message does not reach the receiver at all. This is an irritating situation in

communication.

But it does not imply that communication, particularly on the electronic media where noise is

more likely to play a part, is not possible. It is difficult though. Once a problem is marked one is

always likely to fix it. This is true the same fashion in the case of noise; we first try to mark the

sour part and then try the ways to overcome it. In broadcasting, fortunately, more room is

available to whip the trouble.

Now we will discuss various areas of noise, broadcasters/ producers in particular, must be

aware of, along with some reasonable way out.

Physical

As the message travels through different media, some physical distortion takes place, not

allowing the announcements, music, news, talks, road shows or any piece of broadcast to be

heard properly. The distortion in listening to a program due to physical factors has always

caused serious concern for the radio people. But over the years there has not been a

satisfactory solution found to overcome this problem. However, with the help of making the

transmission strong, and introducing some improvements in the components responsible to

receive the signal and making it strong, the audibility of radio message has been improved

considerably but completely overpowering the distortion problem has not yet been made

possible. Physical noise has many forms;

Medium itself

The medium used for this purpose is weak, low quality or under influence of other

factors just as amplitude modulation problem in broadcast transmission when static current

is produced by thundering clouds, a motorbike with damaged spark plug or due to high tension

overhead wire.

Problem at sender's end

Think of a situation when you are making a telephonic call and there is so much sound

around you, it may be railway platform. you may be asking some one to pick you at three but

due to rustle around you, the receiver understands three as free. Result; you may very well

imagine.

That is why every possible effort is made at a broadcasting station to keep a studio as

sound-proof as possible so that at least there is no such situation when the message is being

delivered.

Introduction to Broadcasting MCM 411

Problem at receiver's end

Likewise, receiver is at a place, which is very hurly, burly and full of clamor. He/she

may not understand the message. You might have notice in such a situation when a receiver

rushes away to find a calm place so that message could be understood. If there is a TV

program going on, and phone bell rings, what you do first is to mute the sound of the program

only to enable you to receive the message properly. If a man is telling from his office to wife on

telephone to dine outside this evening, and the wife, holding a crying baby in her lap,

understands as the husband wants a good meal in the evening. What the couple would be

talking in the evening is any body's guess.

Psychological/ Bias

Another very strong area of a message largely misunderstood, is the psyche of the sender and

receiver. A message from rich to poor and the same message from rich to rich will carry a

different meaning. For instance chairperson of a company asking chairperson of another

company to come to attend marriage part of his son, and the same message conveyed to the

low ranking staff in his organization, will carry different psychological approach. This is too

often observed in dramas or talk shows where characters with different social and economic

background encounter each other.

At a conference there is a Jew and a Palestinian. What they talk is completely differently

understood by an audience, which comprises delegates from Arab countries and western

nations.

There are two real brothers in a family... one very rich other ordinary. Whose voice will carry

more weight in family affairs is any body's guess. The shaping up of meaning in a

psychological background is sometime so difficult to be kept to the true meaning of the

message, a broadcaster must be cautious of.

Semantics

This part of noise problem refers to the meaning of words or phrases which stand different to

different people, though they do not have any psychological or physical problems. For

instance if a person knowing English language to a better extent, says he visits Malaysia once

in blue moon, his Korean friend may reply that his company does not deal in moons but it

produces glistening stars, meant to decorate functions. Think they are traveling in an airplane

and keep talking on this matter till landing and still they fail to understand what they mean to

each other.

A radio producer must know that a piece of broadcast is meant for a very large size of

audience. The sound of words and articulation of the sentences must be done in a fashion as

to make every body understand the message in its best possible form. This is possible, or near

possible, when the language selected for radio broadcast is simple, the voice quality of the

talent is good good enough to utter proper sound of each syllable of the word, and with a

speed which helps every listener to understood the broadcast clearly. This would only help to

minimize the occurrence of semantic problem which is otherwise quite common in mass

communication.

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